Following a campaign supported by EAPN, 2010 has been designated as the EU Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The Year will aim to reaffirm the EU's commitment to making a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty and provide financial support (EU contribution of € 17 million) to a wide range of activities such as meetings, surveys, research and awareness raising.
Background to EAPN’s engagement with the Year
EAPN has been a key actor engaged with the EU’s Social Open Method of Coordination (Social Protection and Social Inclusion), since its inception in 2000, pressing for delivery on the EU’s commitment in the Lisbon Council in 2000 to make a decisive impact on poverty by 2010. As well as actively engaging with its national networks in National Action Plans on social inclusion, it has sought to influence the EU debate, both through the Social OMC and the broader Lisbon agenda.
EAPN called in 2004 to have 2010 as the European Year against Poverty and Social Exclusion.
- The deadline set by the Lisbon Strategy of 2000 for the EU to have made a decisive impact in eradicating poverty in Europe.
- The first year in the new 5-year institutional cycle of the EU.
- The 20th anniversary of EAPN. The Year provides an opportunity for new thinking and new approaches.
It is also an opportunity to deepen and broaden cooperation and solidarity and to genuinely contribute to a broader movement based on solidarity with those experiencing poverty across the European Union and beyond its boundaries.
Building an NGO Coalition at European Level during 2010
EAPN has sought to maximise the impact and involvement of all actors in the Year. As part of this approach, EAPN is coordinating a broad NGO Coalition under the banner and slogan “Building a Europe for all – End Poverty”, involving over 40 European networks and organisations. For more information, see www.endpoverty.eu.
At the same time, EAPN National Networks are developing their own activities for the Year as well as seeking maximum cooperation with the National Implementing Bodies responsible for the year at Member State level.
2010 NGO Coalition Activities
The NGO coalition has developed a common set of activities for the 2010 year. It is hoped that all concerned actors and individuals can take initiatives in line with these actions:
A shared NGO website for 2010 www.endpoverty.eu was launched on 19 January 2010. It includes information on the European Year, on the Coalition and its members, their campaigns and demands for 2010, testimonies of people experiencing poverty, an agenda of all events and specific pages for each EU country...
National focus weeks - Throughout 2010, there will be national focus weeks when the spotlight is on one Member State. NGO messages for the year will be transferred symbolically from one focus week to the next. See the website of the Coalition.
European Spring focus week (May 24-30) - a week of broadcasting! The coalition and the National Networks aim to mobilize all media to talk about poverty and social exclusion in the European Union.
European Autumn focus week (October 11-17) - will include activities around 17 October, the International Day against Poverty and will aim to build pressure for strong political outcomes of the Year. A particular focus will be the organisation of a series of events in towns and cities all over Europe at lunchtime on 12 October to give all concerned citizens a chance to step forward and show their support for the fight against poverty and social exclusion. In Brussels, a human ring around the EU institutions in Brussels will gather civil society, trade unions, MEPs, concerned citizens and many other stakeholders to highlight the need to strong political outcomes from the Year.
EAPN EU Activities
See all EAPN national networks’ activities on the NGO Coalition’s website.
EAPN is organising 3 main European events during 2010 linked to the European Year:
- 19/02: Conference on the political legacy for 2010 in Dublin,
- June: Seminar on Globalisation and Migration, in Cyprus,
- Sept: Conference on Minimum Income/Social Standards, in Belgium (in liaison with the Belgian EU Presidency).
- a joint Conference with Cecodhas on Energy Poverty on 24 March,
- with PICUM and the European Womens’ lobby on Undocumented migrants.
EAPN has also participated actively in the Round Table on Poverty on 18 October and the Presidency Opening and Closing conferences of the European Year, and a large number of other key conferences.
EAPN and its national members coordinating people in poverty will be closely involved in the 9th European meeting of people experiencing poverty under the Spanish Presidency, to be held in the European Parliament in Brussels on June 25-26. (Know more about European Meetings of People experiencing poverty).
EAPN will prepare publications to mark the European Year, apart from the proposals on EU2020 (See EAPN's current key documents), Wealth explainer, Adequate Income explainer and a new EAPN leaflet for the Year. Other plans include a video on good practices in active inclusion combating poverty and social exclusion, a booklet on participation and governancein the EU poverty strategy.
Key messages and demands
The NGO Coalition has established a common set of messages and demands in relation to the year.
- See the Coalition’s shared messages at http://endpoverty.eu/-About-the-COALITION-.html or download directly the PDF-format document of the messages. This can also be accessed here in Polish.
- EAPN has established its own specific demands for the Year. See EAPN’s messages at http://endpoverty.eu/_European-Anti-Poverty-Network_.html?lang=en. This can also be accessed here in Polish
Read also:
- EAPN’s statement on the legacy of the 2010 Year
- EAPN’s letter sent to the Secretary General of the European Commission on Governance and the 2020 strategy
- 2010 NGO Coalition’s statement on the 2010 Year
- Commission's communication on the Platform against Poverty
For more information, please contact Pauline Geoghegan at the EAPN secretariat: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it + 32 2 226 58 54
